I've loved and I've lost... A Gucci Bag
The one that got away, or more truthfully, I left behind...
We’ve all been through it. It’s a universal shopping experience — your eyes settle on a beautiful piece, a glorious item that captures your soul in a way that no other item has. It’s so very YOU. The colours, the design, my gosh, surely they had you in mind when the design team came up with this exceptional creation. It’s perfect… and then for one reason or another it slips through your fingers. Let me tell you about the Gucci bag I had to walk away from.
The Starter 🍤
It was May 16th 2023 and I was casually scrolling through the looks from the Gucci Cruise 2024 show. This collection was designed by the Gucci studio team in the interim between Alessandro Michele and Sabato de Sarno, and it was ok, but one bag in particular caught my eye. I’d never seen a bag like her before. Her base was logo canvas, with a black and yellow croc web stripe down her side. Her top handle was also croc and was Gucci-fied by a chunky golden horse bit, complete with a pair of abstractly dragon-y creatures (but also possibly Tigers?) holding everything together. She was fun, ornate and so very unique.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago.
I got a DM from a subscriber (shout out to them), letting me know that one was available on TheRealReal. I couldn’t believe it, but I clicked on the link and there she was in her shining glory, staring at me from a sad blank page, begging me to buy her. I didn’t even know this bag had been released, not that I’m an all-knowing shopping savant, but I get around a bit and had never seen her gloriousness sat on a Gucci shelf. I did manage to forage around for some information and found out that this Cruise collection was cancelled after pre-orders, so they fulfilled those reserved orders and everything else didn’t see the light of day. Therefore, this bag was one out of a potentially very, very small number in existence.
After an internal struggle with myself (as I’m doing all to often recently because *cough* wedding *cough*) I went to visit the bag in person.
She wasn’t as perfect as I’d hoped — and please excuse me as I sound like Goldilocks before everything is “just right”.
Firstly, you know I love a TBE (tiny bag energy) and she was bigger than I thought, I think the size looked awkward on me. Secondly, the handle was too wide, it wasn’t a comfortable hold…adding to said awkwardness. So she would really be a crook-of-the-elbow situation, and although she has a crossbody strap, no one in their right mind would wear this bag as a crossbody, with its top handle stabbing you in the tit.
I also had some suspicions over the croc used for this particular bag. Keep in mind this bag sold for $23,000 to those lucky sods who pre-ordered the bag. Again, I’m no exotics expert but the “croc” leather felt more leather-embossed than real croc, and for a price just above $3,000…🧐
One thing that did live up to the hype though was the handle. Oh my gosh, it was so over the top, like it was a door knocker ripped from the door of a palace. The attention to detail was excellent and that, paired with the fact that very few of these exist…almost made her go home with me.
Alas, I decided to make the sad, but sensible decision to leave her behind - there were one too many things I wanted to change to make her perfect for me, but she will be perfect for someone out there *smiles through gritted teeth*.
She’s still there if you want to give her a good home.
The Main Course 🍔
In honour of the wonderful items that slipped through our fingers, here’s some cool things (mainly bags) that are worth knowing about.
TWP Next Chapter Shirt (~$600): I am always looking out for a great shirt, and this is my latest interesting find. Yes, it looks great with a fellow suiting bottom, but I think this would look chic with denim or cargos and even worn open with a vest top or bralette underneath. This version also exists in a heavier material.
Christopher Esber Gondola Bag (<$1,000): This bag may be hardware-less, but it’s a great casual moment. It’s no secret I love an East/West shape and that it certainly is. The bag also comes complete with a tiny attached coin purse (I love a freebie). Also available in black leather if you’re not a lime-y suede person.
Bvlgari Serpenti Cuore 1968 Top Handle (<$5,000): The colour, the sculptural serpentine handle, the interesting shape? 10s across the board for the bag designer.
Anya Hindmarch In-Flight Travel Bag (<$1,500): The hunt is over. Surely, this has to be the most perfect travel bag (unless you need to have your laptop - it doesn’t seem to be big enough for that, but an ipad certainly)? It has sections for everything, including a clear pouch for liquids!
The Attico Small La Passeggiata (<$2,000): I know I told you about the bigger sibling of this, but here’s the smaller one and it’s in this wonderfully foil-y crinkly silver.
JW Anderson Scarf Bag (<$1,000): Scarf bags — ie. shoulder bags that are inspired by, or look like scarves — are definitely a thing at the moment. This one is so well done.
AMI Paris Shirt and Jeans (<$450 each): There is nothing better than a matching set on days when you can’t fathom thinking about “putting together” and outfit, and this burgundy is perfect.
De La Vali Dress (<$500): The draping!! What else is there to say?
Khaite Kye Shoulder Bag (<$1,500): This bag is on pre-order to be delivered in November, so you’ll have to exercise some patience here, nonetheless she’s a cutie.
Savette Slim Symmetry Pouch (<$1,500): I love the ‘normal’ version of this and reach for it a lot, the quality is great.
I know I’m not meant to be doing duplicates but I just found out that SHE exists… Should I?
The Sides 🥗
Alaïa
Pieter Mulier continues to do things with fabric that I didn’t know could be done.
Schiaparelli
At this point, I’m annoyed at Daniel Roseberry, because every single season he keeps coming for my wallet. MY WISHLIST IS FULL, SIR!
Givenchy
We’ve all been waiting to see if Sarah Burton can resurrect Givenchy into something…desirable, and I think she did a brilliant job. Did I love everything? No (especially not the closing look, which was…just a yellow tutu), but I like this vision of “the Givenchy girl”, and I can envision each following season building on this really well.
The Dessert… 🧁
What I’ve been…
Listening to: The Wicked soundtrack, no I’m not over it.
Reading: Still wading through Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (60% done). I’m also attempting to read annoying self-help books, starting off with: The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga. It’s written like a script which is throwing me, but let’s see if it makes a difference lol.
Watching: Tried to watch Nosferatu and failed. Severance go too complicated for me so I gave up for two weeks, but I’ll be dipping back in because I don’t want to miss out. Paradise is exceptional (as is Sterling K. Brown in it).
Buying: A load of white t-shirts to compare them all for you in an upcoming Substack post (the first instalment of Battle of the Basics) - comment below any brands you want me to include!
Doing: On Tuesday evening I found myself squirrelled into the corner of Caviar Kaspia at the Mark Hotel, shoving caviar-topped mini baked potatoes into my mouth, trying not to look like a loser and gawking at bags encrusted with diamonds. It was the 11.Juillet launch, a new fine jewelry and handbag brand. Each bag’s clasp is set with diamonds and depending on how much you want to spend (the bags start at $10K and range up to price-upon-request), you can get from 3.4ct to 17ct worth of diamonds with onyx, malachite and mother of pearl. Wow.
I hope you enjoyed this one, feel free to let me know what you thought in the comments, maybe even share with me your “one that got away”.
Love,
Ca$$ie
The one that got away was a Black Chanel Square mini with silver hardware for less then 4000$ brand new before all the price increases … ahhhh
I love the banana republic tees. Pricy but worth it.